State Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, (Andy Cross, The Denver Post file)
The year was 2003, and the debate raging in the Colorado House was over a bill allowing illegal immigrants to attend public colleges at the in-state tuition rate.
"We don't need to continue to provide taxpayer subsidies to people who are here illegally," state Rep. Greg Brophy, a Wray Republican, said at the time about the bill, which didn't pass.
Now a state senator serving his final term, Brophy, who's previously proposed blocking state-funded criminal defense attorneys for illegal immigrants and denying them worker's compensation insurance, is having second thoughts on immigration issues.
Brophy is one of a handful of Republicans who acknowledge they may support Senate Bill 33, this year's measure that would grant the in-state tuition rate to any high school graduate who has attended a Colorado high school for three years, regardless of immigration status.
"I have cause to think about it more deeply than I have in the past," Brophy said. "It's partly personal ? just where I live and people I know.
"I fell for the siren song years ago that people who are here illegally should just be encouraged to go back home," he said. "That sounds great if you say it fast, but the reality is if you look at the families that live here, that's a ridiculous thing."
Brophy's potential defection could cause the same kind of shock waves that freshman state Sen. Owen Hill provoked last week when he voted for Senate Bill 33 in committee. Hill, a Colorado Springs Republican, was savaged by members of his own party in El Paso County, including former state Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, who said he never would have endorsed Hill had he known his stance on the issue.
Hill invokes the Statue of Liberty when he talks about the bill.
"That was the vision for America: We can't offer you anything but the rule of law and the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," he said. "This is a difficult issue for a lot of people. Unfortunately, there's still this protectionist mentality."
One Republican who's never hidden his support is state Sen. Larry Crowder, a freshman Republican from Alamosa.
"I'm a fifth-generation Coloradan from southern Colorado," Crowder said. "I was raised with both legals and illegals, so were my forefathers. We do not look at this the same way people north of Pueblo do.
"What I do believe, and I believe this very firmly: This is a conservative issue. What we want in this country is legalized citizens. What I see here is a path to citizenship through this bill."
Republicans aren't the only ones who have changed their positions on the issue. Previous bills to grant in-state tuition several years ago died at the hands of Democrats, enough of whom joined Republicans in killing the proposals.
But there now appear to be no Democrats who still oppose the idea.
Senate Bill 33 still awaits debate on the Senate floor, where it is expected to pass. It's also expected to pass in the House now that Democrats hold the chamber again.
This year, though, they might get some help from a few Republicans.
"As far as doing something about undocumented students, absolutely, we need to do something," said state Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen. "We're basically wasting the futures of some really bright people, and we can't afford to do that."
Gerou acknowledged she has been having conversations with Senate Bill 33 supporters.
"Right now, I'm on the fence, but I can certainly lean toward it depending on what happens in the Senate," she said.
Gerou favors a version of the bill that would prevent undocumented students from getting the College Opportunity Fund subsidy the state provides for every college student. The past two years, Democrats offered compromise versions that eliminated the subsidy for such students, but even those efforts failed in a Republican-led House.
However, in a year when Democrats no longer need Republican votes, the College Opportunity Fund subsidy is back in the bill, and it's unlikely to come out.
Rep. Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, is also considering supporting the bill.
"I've been leaning toward it, especially with what's been coming down federally," Priola said, referring to major immigration reforms being discussed in Washington. "I think it's time to address that issue for a lot of kids in Colorado."
Priola, who said he speaks Spanish and grew up around Latinos, argues that his views are in keeping with Ronald Reagan's beliefs.
"The United States is the land of opportunity, and we shouldn't get in the way of folks who are trying to better their lives and be productive citizens," he said.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626, thoover@denverpost.com or twitter.com/timhoover
'Moral realism' may lead to better moral behaviorPublic release date: 29-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Patti Delaney patricia.delaney@bc.edu Boston College
New report by Boston College researchers
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. Getting people to think about morality as a matter of objective facts rather than subjective preferences may lead to improved moral behavior, Boston College researchers report in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
In two experiments, one conducted in-person and the other online, participants were primed to consider a belief in either moral realism (the notion that morals are like facts) or moral antirealism (the belief that morals reflect people's preferences) during a solicitation for a charitable donation. In both experiments, those primed with moral realism pledged to give more money to the charity than those primed with antirealism or those not primed at all.
"There is significant debate about whether morals are processed more like objective facts, like mathematical truths, or more like subjective preferences similar to whether vanilla or chocolate tastes better," said lead researcher Liane Young, assistant professor of psychology at Boston College. "We wanted to explore the impact of these different meta-ethical views on actual behavior."
Ideas have previously been advanced on the subject, but Young and her former research assistant A.J. Durwin, now a law student at Hofstra University, are the first to directly investigate the question.
In one experiment, a street canvasser attempted to solicit donations from passersby for a charity that aids impoverished children. Participants in one set were asked a leading question to prime a belief in moral realism: "Do you agree that some things are just morally right or wrong, good or bad, wherever you happen to be from in the world?" Those in a second set were asked a question to prime belief in moral antirealism: "Do you agree that our morals and values are shaped by our culture and upbringing, so there are no absolute right answers to any moral questions?" Participants in a control set were not asked any priming question.
In this experiment, participants primed with realism were twice as likely to be donors, compared to those primed with antirealism or not primed at all.
A second experiment, conducted online, yielded similar results. Participants asked to donate money to a charity of their choice who were primed with realism reported being willing to give more than those primed with antirealism or not primed at all.
"Priming participants to consider the notion that morals are like facts increased decisions to donate in both experiments, revealing the potential impact of meta-ethical views on everyday decision-making," said Young. "Simply asking participants to consider moral values, as we did with the antirealism prime, did not produce an effect," she said, "so priming morality in general may not necessarily lead to better behavior. Considering the existence of non-negotiable moral facts may have raised the stakes and motivated participants to behave better."
Since "real" moral stakes may be accompanied by "real" consequences whether good (e.g., helping others, enhanced self-esteem) or bad (e.g., retribution), priming a belief in moral realism may in fact prompt people to behave better, in line with their existing moral beliefs, the researchers say.
The researchers note that priming a belief in moral realism may enhance moral behavior under certain conditions such as when the right thing to do is relatively unambiguous (e.g., it is good to be generous). A different outcome could be possible when subjects are faced with more controversial moral issues, they say.
Liane Young's research frequently focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of moral judgment and behavior. In 2012, she was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and was named a Dana Neuroscience Scholar by the Dana Foundation, which also awarded her a three-year grant to support her study of brain activity and moral decision-making in individuals with autism, a project that will provide a valuable research opportunity for BC undergraduates. In addition, she received the 2011 Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Social Neuroscience from the Society for Social Neuroscience, among other honors.
Her research on attributions of responsibility to groups (e.g., corporations) versus members of groups was published in the journal Psychological Science in 2012; she is also co-author of a study of moral judgments in adults with autism that was reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
###
The study, "Moral Realism as Moral Motivation: The Impact of Meta-Ethics on Everyday Decision-Making," was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. It appears in the March 2013 print edition of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.11.013.
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'Moral realism' may lead to better moral behaviorPublic release date: 29-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Patti Delaney patricia.delaney@bc.edu Boston College
New report by Boston College researchers
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. Getting people to think about morality as a matter of objective facts rather than subjective preferences may lead to improved moral behavior, Boston College researchers report in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
In two experiments, one conducted in-person and the other online, participants were primed to consider a belief in either moral realism (the notion that morals are like facts) or moral antirealism (the belief that morals reflect people's preferences) during a solicitation for a charitable donation. In both experiments, those primed with moral realism pledged to give more money to the charity than those primed with antirealism or those not primed at all.
"There is significant debate about whether morals are processed more like objective facts, like mathematical truths, or more like subjective preferences similar to whether vanilla or chocolate tastes better," said lead researcher Liane Young, assistant professor of psychology at Boston College. "We wanted to explore the impact of these different meta-ethical views on actual behavior."
Ideas have previously been advanced on the subject, but Young and her former research assistant A.J. Durwin, now a law student at Hofstra University, are the first to directly investigate the question.
In one experiment, a street canvasser attempted to solicit donations from passersby for a charity that aids impoverished children. Participants in one set were asked a leading question to prime a belief in moral realism: "Do you agree that some things are just morally right or wrong, good or bad, wherever you happen to be from in the world?" Those in a second set were asked a question to prime belief in moral antirealism: "Do you agree that our morals and values are shaped by our culture and upbringing, so there are no absolute right answers to any moral questions?" Participants in a control set were not asked any priming question.
In this experiment, participants primed with realism were twice as likely to be donors, compared to those primed with antirealism or not primed at all.
A second experiment, conducted online, yielded similar results. Participants asked to donate money to a charity of their choice who were primed with realism reported being willing to give more than those primed with antirealism or not primed at all.
"Priming participants to consider the notion that morals are like facts increased decisions to donate in both experiments, revealing the potential impact of meta-ethical views on everyday decision-making," said Young. "Simply asking participants to consider moral values, as we did with the antirealism prime, did not produce an effect," she said, "so priming morality in general may not necessarily lead to better behavior. Considering the existence of non-negotiable moral facts may have raised the stakes and motivated participants to behave better."
Since "real" moral stakes may be accompanied by "real" consequences whether good (e.g., helping others, enhanced self-esteem) or bad (e.g., retribution), priming a belief in moral realism may in fact prompt people to behave better, in line with their existing moral beliefs, the researchers say.
The researchers note that priming a belief in moral realism may enhance moral behavior under certain conditions such as when the right thing to do is relatively unambiguous (e.g., it is good to be generous). A different outcome could be possible when subjects are faced with more controversial moral issues, they say.
Liane Young's research frequently focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of moral judgment and behavior. In 2012, she was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and was named a Dana Neuroscience Scholar by the Dana Foundation, which also awarded her a three-year grant to support her study of brain activity and moral decision-making in individuals with autism, a project that will provide a valuable research opportunity for BC undergraduates. In addition, she received the 2011 Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Social Neuroscience from the Society for Social Neuroscience, among other honors.
Her research on attributions of responsibility to groups (e.g., corporations) versus members of groups was published in the journal Psychological Science in 2012; she is also co-author of a study of moral judgments in adults with autism that was reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
###
The study, "Moral Realism as Moral Motivation: The Impact of Meta-Ethics on Everyday Decision-Making," was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. It appears in the March 2013 print edition of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.11.013.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Until now, we've known almost all there is to know about Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 365: we got hands-on with the new features last summer, and the company has even confirmed pricing. The only thing we weren't sure of was the exact on-sale date, but even that got leaked when a Canadian retailer put up a pre-order page indicating the two products would ship January 29th. Well, what do you know? Today is January 29th and sure enough, Office 2013 is on sale, along with the subscription service Office 365. To be clear, while every version of the boxed software is now out, 365 is only being offered to consumers; the business version will arrive later, on February 27th.
For now, Office 365 Home Premium is priced at $99.99 for an annual subscription, with permission to install the suite on up to five PCs and Macs. There's also a "University" version for college students and faculty, which costs $79.99 for a four-year plan. Either way, the sub includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage on top of whatever plan you already have which is to say if you previously only had 7GB of space, your limit will now get bumped to 20 gigs. (In other words, people grandfathered into 25GB don't get an additional 20 gigabytes.). Of course, you can always deactivate a particular machine through Office.com if you need to free up a license. Naturally, too, as a part of the subscription you'll always have the most recent version. That means Office 2013 for Windows users; Office for Mac 2011 if you're on OS X. That last piece is a bit of a bummer, for sure, but for what it's worth Microsoft has said a new Mac product is in the works, and that subscribers will get it as part of a future software update.
If you'd rather buy the software outright, you can do that today too. At the low end, there's Office 2013 Home and Student 2013 ($139), which comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Home and Business adds Outlook for $219, while the top-of-the-line Professional package includes all of the above along with Access and Publisher for $399. Remember, though: these come with only one user license, and you don't get any complimentary cloud storage or upgrades to future versions. It's your money, obviously, but it seems clear to us that Microsoft has gone out of its way to make its Office 365 service the more attractive option. So, you might want to think long and hard about how much owning your software really means to you before going the old-fashioned route.
Update: An Office 365 subscription includes 20GB of SkyDrive storage in addition to whatever plan you already have. So, if you were grandfathered into 25 gigs of storage, you'll end up with 45GB in total.
Show full PR text
Microsoft Releases Office 365 Home Premium Jan. 29, 2013 New consumer cloud service works across devices to help busy people simplify their lives and get more done.
NEW YORK - Jan. 29, 2013 - Microsoft Corp. today announced worldwide availability of Office 365 Home Premium, a reinvention of the company's flagship Office product line for consumers. Office 365 Home Premium is a cloud service designed for busy households and people juggling ever-increasing work and family responsibilities. The new offering includes the latest and most complete set of Office applications; works across up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs and Macs; and comes with extra SkyDrive storage and Skype calling - all for US$99.99 for an annual subscription, the equivalent of US$8.34 per month.
"Today's launch of Office 365 Home Premium marks the next big step in Microsoft's transformation to a devices and services business," said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. "This is so much more than just another release of Office. This is Office reinvented as a consumer cloud service with all the full-featured Office applications people know and love, together with impressive new cloud and social benefits."
Microsoft also announced it will now deliver many new features and services to the cloud first, transforming the company's traditional three-year release cycle. Now, new features and services stream to subscribers as soon as they are ready, keeping subscribers always up to date while eliminating the hassles of upgrading.
"This is a major leap forward," said Kurt DelBene, president of the Microsoft Office Division. "People's needs change rapidly, and Office 365 Home Premium will change with them."
Simultaneously, Microsoft today released Office 365 University for college or university students, faculty and staff at a price of just US$79.99 for a four-year subscription - the equivalent of US$1.67 per month. Globally, the company also released updated versions of the traditional Office suite: Office Home and Student 2013, Office Home and Business 2013 and Office Professional 2013. Office 365 for businesses will be released globally with new capabilities on Feb. 27.
Time to Do the Things You Want
In a recent global survey,* nearly 60 percent of people said they don't have the time to do the things they want to do, and more than 80 percent said they could save one or more hours a day if they were better organized. Office 365 Home Premium is designed to help people be more productive from virtually anywhere and find the flexibility to do the things they want.
"Between kids and career, I'm never completely at home or completely at work - and thanks to technology, that suits me just fine," said Jen Singer, an author, blogger and mom of two teen boys. "With Office 365 Home Premium, I can work around my kids' schedules, so I can drive the soccer carpool, coordinate errands while at a doctor's office and still hit my deadlines at work. And, with one subscription for everyone in my family, it's an absolute steal."
To help people find more time to do the things they want, Microsoft is introducing Time to 365 (http://www.office.com/timeto365), a new crowd-sourced website where people can find and share tips, tricks, ideas and inspiration from around the world. Contributors include experts such as "techorating" pro Janna Robinson (http://www.jannarobinson.com) and everyday working parents who have found ways to simplify their lives. Tips on the site include, for example, an idea for organizing your grocery list with OneNote on your phone, a pointer on how to pick the right-sized TV for your living room, and ways to use Office applications to help plan a child's birthday party.
About Office 365 Home Premium
Office 365 Home Premium is available in 162 markets in 21 languages and includes the following:
o. The latest and most complete set of Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access
o. One license for the entire household to use Office on up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs or Macs, and Office on Demand available from any Internet-connected PC**
o. An additional 20 GB of SkyDrive cloud storage, nearly three times the amount available with a free SkyDrive account
o. 60 free Skype world calling minutes per month to call mobile phones, landlines or PCs around the world***
o. Future upgrades, so you always use the latest time-saving technology
People can learn more about Office 365 Home Premium or try it free for 30 days at http://www.office.com.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
* Microsoft surveyed more than 10,000 people in over 20 countries.
** App availability varies by operating system, device and language.
*** Skype world minutes not available in all countries. Calls to select countries.
NASA sees some powerful 'overshooting cloud tops' in Cyclone FellengPublic release date: 29-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rob Gutro Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov 443-858-1779 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA satellite imagery revealed that Cyclone Felleng is packing some powerful thunderstorms with overshooting cloud tops.
An overshooting (cloud) top is a dome-like protrusion that shoots out of the top of the anvil of a thunderstorm and into the troposphere. It takes a lot of energy and uplift in a storm to create an overshooting top, because usually vertical cloud growth stops at the tropopause and clouds spread horizontally, forming an "anvil" shape on top of the thunderstorms.
During the night-time hours (Madagascar local time) of Jan. 28, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a night-time image of Cyclone Felleng when it was located northwest of Madagascar. The image was created at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was false colored to reveal temperatures. The image showed some pretty cold overshooting cloud tops, topping at ~170K (-153.7F/ -103.1C). The image also showed some interesting gravity waves (waves in the atmosphere) propagating out from the storm in both the thermal (infrared) and visible imagery. The infrared imagery also showed that Felleng has strengthened significantly since the previous day as convective bands of thunderstorms are wrapping more tightly into the eye.
On Jan. 29, the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Cyclone Felleng at 1015 UTC (5:14 a.m. EST) that showed strong thunderstorms around the center of circulation and a 22 nautical mile-wide-eye (25.3 mile/40.7 km) obscured by high clouds. The image clearly showed the western edge of the storm is approaching Madagascar.
Cyclone Felleng has continued to intensify, as NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP image indicated with the identification of overshooting cloud tops. On Jan. 29 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST), Felleng has maximum sustained winds near 90 knots (103.6 mph/166.7 kph). Felleng was located near 14.3 south latitude and 54.6 east longitude, about 420 nautical miles (483.3 miles/777.8 km) north of La Reunion. Felleng is moving west-southwestward at 8 knots (9.2 mph/14.8 kph).
On Jan. 30, a trough (elongated area) of low pressure is expected to turn Felleng southward. The storm is expected to continue intensifying as it moves parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar.
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NASA sees some powerful 'overshooting cloud tops' in Cyclone FellengPublic release date: 29-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Rob Gutro Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov 443-858-1779 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA satellite imagery revealed that Cyclone Felleng is packing some powerful thunderstorms with overshooting cloud tops.
An overshooting (cloud) top is a dome-like protrusion that shoots out of the top of the anvil of a thunderstorm and into the troposphere. It takes a lot of energy and uplift in a storm to create an overshooting top, because usually vertical cloud growth stops at the tropopause and clouds spread horizontally, forming an "anvil" shape on top of the thunderstorms.
During the night-time hours (Madagascar local time) of Jan. 28, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a night-time image of Cyclone Felleng when it was located northwest of Madagascar. The image was created at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was false colored to reveal temperatures. The image showed some pretty cold overshooting cloud tops, topping at ~170K (-153.7F/ -103.1C). The image also showed some interesting gravity waves (waves in the atmosphere) propagating out from the storm in both the thermal (infrared) and visible imagery. The infrared imagery also showed that Felleng has strengthened significantly since the previous day as convective bands of thunderstorms are wrapping more tightly into the eye.
On Jan. 29, the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Cyclone Felleng at 1015 UTC (5:14 a.m. EST) that showed strong thunderstorms around the center of circulation and a 22 nautical mile-wide-eye (25.3 mile/40.7 km) obscured by high clouds. The image clearly showed the western edge of the storm is approaching Madagascar.
Cyclone Felleng has continued to intensify, as NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP image indicated with the identification of overshooting cloud tops. On Jan. 29 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST), Felleng has maximum sustained winds near 90 knots (103.6 mph/166.7 kph). Felleng was located near 14.3 south latitude and 54.6 east longitude, about 420 nautical miles (483.3 miles/777.8 km) north of La Reunion. Felleng is moving west-southwestward at 8 knots (9.2 mph/14.8 kph).
On Jan. 30, a trough (elongated area) of low pressure is expected to turn Felleng southward. The storm is expected to continue intensifying as it moves parallel to the eastern coast of Madagascar.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Tiger Woods holds up the trophy after winning the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. Woods closed with an even-par 72 for a four-shot victory. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods holds up the trophy after winning the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. It is Wood's seventh victory in the event. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods holds up the trophy after winning the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. Woods closed with an even-par 72 for a four-shot victory. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods holds up the trophy after winning the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. It is Wood's seventh victory in the event. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods, center, watches his second shot land on the fairway from out of bounds during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods takes a look at the green before putting on the 13th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the 10th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 10th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods throws blades of grass into the air as he waits to hit his tee shot on the eighth hold during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Brandt Snedeker
Brandt Snedeker watches his tee shot on the 10th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods raises a fist after hitting out of a bunker on the 11th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods lets his club fly as he watches his tee shot on the ninth hole go out of bounds to the right of the fairway during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods chips in from the edge of a bunker on the 12th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hits his second shot on the fairway of the 13th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods smiles as he waits to putt on the 12th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the 11th hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods waits after finishing the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 13th hole during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hits his second shot on the sixth hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, at the Torrey Pines Golf Course on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods chips in for birdie on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods reacts after chipping in from 40 feet for birdie on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods reacts as his putt goes wide of the sixth hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods gestures to the crowd as he makes his way to tee off on the seventh hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods hits out from behind a tree on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the fifth hole during the fourth round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Brad Fritsch
Brad Fritsch drives on the first hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines to start the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Brad Fritsch
Brad Fritsch, of Canada, watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods looks over the green as he waits to putt on the 16th hole during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hits out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods pulls his driver from the bag as he gets ready for his tee shot on the fourth hole at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiher Woods, Joe LaCava
Tiger Woods and caddie Joe LaCava assess Woods' second shot on the sixth hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. Woods birdied the hole. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Eric Compton, Tiger Woods
Erik Compton, right, a two-time heart transplant recipient, talks with Tiger Woods during a delay on the third tee at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Nick Watney
Nick Watney studies his birdie putt on the first green of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Josh teater
Josh Teater chips from the rough adjacent to the first green on the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. Teater made par on the hole. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Billy Horschel
Billy Horschel follows through with his drive on the second hole at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Billy Horschel
Billy Horschel pitches to the first green at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods looks down the second fairway of the South Course at Torrey Pines as he prepares to hit his drive during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods follows the flight of his drive on the second hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods drives from behind the trees on the south hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf PGA tournament Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Toger Woods points to the right rough after teeing off on the fourth hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open PGA golf tournament Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Steve Marino
Steve Marino hits from the bunker on the first hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Billy Horschel
Billy Horschel hits from the bunker on the south hole of the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods hits his tee shot on the par three third hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open PGA golf tournament Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Charles Howell III
Charles Howell III waits out a fog delay at Torrey Pines golf course preventing the start of the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
A fan walks across a fog-enshrouded fairway on the North Course at Torrey Pines during a delay preventing the start of the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Fans walk across a fog-enshrouded fairway on the North Course at Torrey Pines during a delay preventing the start of the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Adam Hadwin
Adam Hadwin chips with a split grip on the Torrey Pines course as fog delays the start of the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Fans wait in grandstands at the first tee for the heavy fog to lift off the Torrey Pines golf course during a delay for the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh practices a one-arm swing drill while waiting out a fog-delay at Torrey Pines golf course for the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
In this undated publicity photo released by Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM, director George Lucas directs actor Anthony Daniels, who plays the robot C-3PO, in "Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones," on location in the Tunisian desert. Lucasfilm said in a statement Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, that it's postponing the scheduled fall 3-D releases of ?Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones? and ?Episode III - Revenge of the Sith? to instead focus its efforts on ?Star Wars: Episode VII.? (AP Photo/Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM, Lisa Tomasetti, file)
In this undated publicity photo released by Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM, director George Lucas directs actor Anthony Daniels, who plays the robot C-3PO, in "Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones," on location in the Tunisian desert. Lucasfilm said in a statement Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, that it's postponing the scheduled fall 3-D releases of ?Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones? and ?Episode III - Revenge of the Sith? to instead focus its efforts on ?Star Wars: Episode VII.? (AP Photo/Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM, Lisa Tomasetti, file)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The force isn't with the 3-D versions of the "Star Wars" prequels.
Lucasfilm said in a statement Monday that it's postponing the scheduled 3-D releases of "Star Wars: Episode II ? Attack Of The Clones" and "Episode III ? Revenge of the Sith" this fall to instead focus its efforts on "Star Wars: Episode VII."
The Walt Disney Co. confirmed Friday that J.J. Abrams, creator of the TV series "Lost" and director of 2009's "Star Trek" movie, will direct the seventh installment of the franchise, set for a 2014 release.
Disney bought "Star Wars" maker Lucasfilm last month for $4.06 billion.
"Episode I ? The Phantom Menace" was released in 3-D last February and earned $22.4 million domestically its opening weekend.
The original prequels were released from 1999 to 2005.
>>>still in washington, the
education department
is taking action to make sure disabled school children are not shut out from
school sports
programs. nbc's chief education correspondent rehema ellis has that story.
>> reporter: it was a big week for 13-year-old owen grosser. get in there.
>> reporter: sinking not one but two three-pointers the first time he stepped out onto the court this season. owen, an eighth grader, has down syndrome. disabled students like him already have the right to participate in
school sports
but this week, the
department of education
released new guidelines on how to incorporate those students onto teams, something some cash-strapped schools have struggled with.
>>we have needed more cooperation, more guidelines from the top. and we believe this is going to lead to some standardization and certainly more opportunity for these families and kids.
>> reporter: some of the doe's suggestions are simple, a visual cue for hearing-impaired student who wants to run track, the elimination of the two-hand touch rule in swimming so a student with one arm can compete. but the recommendations also state when existing school programs cannot accommodate those with disabilities, the
school district
should create additional opportunities for those students, meaning, a new team. although some liken it to
title ix
, the
department of education
cautions against that comparison, saying these are guidelines, not a mandate. schools will not be required to dismantel an existing team because they don't have enough disabled students to field a comparable team.
>>we have been age to create one or two teams per
school district
, you're not going to find enough students in one school to necessarily start a team.
>>push. push for the basket.
>> reporter: adam mcwork, an eighth grader, has
cerebral palsy
, he lives outside atlanta, an area that has been successfully mainstreaming disabled students in sports for years.
>>yes, sir. he used a walker to get around with and we didn't think that sports was something that he could do at all.
>> reporter: now, he stands like every proud dad on the sidelines.
>>my son scored his first goal in the final game, so excited about that the gym was so loud. we'd good time. shoot it, baby.
>> reporter: something more families across the country may soon experience.
A winter of rumor produced its end product on Wednesday when Major League Soccer and United Soccer Leagues established what MLS is calling ?a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership,? one that will address the problem of Reserve League relevance that?s plagued the program since it was reintroduced in 2011.
Starting with the 2013 season, each Major League Soccer team can form partnership with an affiliate USL PRO?club. That affiliation will see at least four players placed in the third division on a ?long-term loan.? While MLS clubs are not required to enter into a partnership, those that do will forgo participation in the 2013 Reserve League.
United Soccer Leagues operate USL PRO, the 13-team league the functions as the third-tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. USL also operates the Premier Development League,W-League,Super-20 League and Super Y-League.
The Sporting News? Brian Straus reports four teams are expected to form affiliations this season, agreements which ?will be customized to meet the needs of the respective teams.??Twelve other Reserve League teams will play home-and-home series with a USL PRO?partner, while two more reserve league teams will play USL PRO?s Antigua franchise once each.
All interleague games will count in each competitions? standings.
One Major League Soccer team will not participate in the deal and will only field a team in the Reserve League. Specific affiliations and pairings are expected to be announced later this week.
?This partnership represents the first step in a long-term alliance between MLS and USL PRO to connect domestic professional soccer through a system that benefits player development, competition and the overall business of our sport ,? MLS Executive Vice President of Player Relations & Competition Todd Durbin said Wednesday in a statement released by the league.? ?Over the past several years, USL PRO has made great strides in restructuring their league in a manner that serves to complement the objectives of MLS.? This is a win-win for all involved, and it demonstrates our strong commitment to growing North American professional soccer at all levels.?
For Major League Soccer, the agreement should enhance competition for players participating in the Reserve League. Whereas before players would play a lightly-regarded 10-game schedule, now prospects can play in a more competitive environment, be that through a full third division schedule or with the enhanced competition of the home-and-homes (which can only be seen as a starting point for what will happen in the future).
For USL PRO (and the United Soccer Leagues), they get a credibility-boosting affiliation as well as a pipeline to player talent that would have previously languished in the reserve league. They also get a valuable business relationship with the Major League Soccer, one that should lead to a better on-field product.
Expect to see more from us on this deal in the coming days. For now, the news is the revamp of the MLS Reserve League, a change that forms a first of its kind link between the top and third divisions.
On Tuesday, National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre criticized President Barack Obama's inaugural address.
"In his second inaugural address, President Barack Obama quoted the Declaration of Independence and he talked about inalienable rights," LaPierre said during a speech at a hunting and conservation awards ceremony in Reno, Nev. "I believe he made a mockery of both."
During his inaugural speech on Monday, Obama said Americans shouldn't "mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics or treat name-calling as reasoned debate."
"Absolutes do exist, words do have specific meaning in language and in law," LaPierre countered Tuesday.
"We believe we deserve, and have every right to, the same level of freedom that our government leaders keep for themselves, and the same capabilities and same technologies that criminals use to prey upon us and our families," he continued. "That means we believe in our right to defend ourselves and our families with semi-automatic technology."
The NRA leader added, "No government gave them to us and no government can take them away."
LaPierre's comments come on the heels of the last week's unveiling of a set of legislative proposals and executive actions by Obama and Vice President Joe Biden formulated in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead.
[Related: NRA's LaPierre slams critics of school gun plan]
Last month, during a press conference to address the shootings in Newtown, LaPierre made the controversial suggestion that a "good guy with a gun" should be stationed at every school in the country. Two days later on "Meet the Press," LaPierre blasted critics of his plan.
?If it?s crazy to call for putting police in and securing our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said. ?I think the American people think it?s crazy not to do it."
Meanwhile, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., plans to introduce legislation later this week to reinstate a federal ban on assault weapons.
The "Assault Weapons Ban of 2013," which centers on banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devices?actions backed by President Obama?will be introduced during a press conference on Thursday morning in Washington. Feinstein will be joined by a coalition of Democratic lawmakers, law enforcement officers, and representatives from gun safety and gun violence groups, among others.
GENEVA (Reuters) - Nigeria is beating its target to raise food production, lifting output by 8 million tonnes last year, in efforts to diversify Africa's second-largest economy away from a reliance on oil, the agriculture minister said.
President Goodluck Jonathan laid out ambitious targets to raise food production such as rice and cocoa by 20 million tonnes within four years after his 2011 election victory.
This would represent an increase of around 15 percent by 2015, based on the latest United Nations data.
In 2012, the first full year since the pledge, the West African country produced an additional 8.1 million tonnes compared with a 5 million tonne target, Akinwumi Adesina said.
"Nigeria has no business importing food. We should be a global power house on food," he said at a round-table discussion on agriculture in Geneva this week, ahead of meetings with investors at the Davos conference.
Africa's most populous nation was a major exporter of palm oil and cocoa in the 1960s but production has slumped as the country has instead shifted its economy towards the oil sector, which accounts for 80 percent of government revenues.
Since an oil boom in the 1970s, a series of administrations have promised to support the agricultural sector to boost employment and alleviate poverty but policy has been inconsistent and lacked commitment.
Poor infrastructure, corruption and mismanagement mean most farming remains at a subsistence level. Nigeria spends around $11 billion on food imports annually, Adesina said.
Nigeria, the world's second largest rice importer according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is on track to end imports of rice and double cocoa production to 500,000 tonnes by 2015, Adesina added, but gave no specific update on the progress of meeting these targets, which were first set in mid-2011.
"We have launched an aggressive rice production programme to make us self-sufficient in rice and we put in place incentives for private sector to produce rice locally and it's working," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting.
He said Nigeria had built 14 new rice mills in 2012 with a capacity to produce 250,000 tonnes.
Adesina said private sector investment in agriculture was $8 billion in 2012, without citing a figure for 2011.
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Public release date: 29-Jan-2013
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